Over a Barrel
by Dede42
Summary: While traveling to Appaloosa to deliver a apple tree to her cousins, the train comes under attack by a herd of buffalo, stealing both the tree and Spike. When Applejack and her friends learn that the buffalo are trying to destroy the town, it's up to them to get back their missing friend, plus the tree, and save Appaloosa. Can they do it?
1. Chapter 1: TREE ABDUCTION!

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Over a Barrel

A/N: (Dede42 is up a tree in the front yard and Sunrise Blossom is trying to keep Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed at bay with her magic shield.)

Dede42: Go away! Go away!

Sunrise Blossom: You heard, Dede42, back off and get out of here! You aren't even suppose to be here!

Shenzi: Aw, come on, we just wanted to see what other _stories_ you got up your sleeve. Right, Banzai?

Banzai: Yeah, we're just curious. Right, Ed? (And Ed just giggles in his manic way.) Ed agrees. So drop the shield so your friend can come out of that there tree.

Dede42 and Sunrise Blossom: No!

(Just then Timon and Pumbaa appear and they charge at the hyena trio, who scatter to avoid getting hit, and start chasing both the meerkat and the warthog around the front yard.)

Timon: Gang way! Coming through!

Pumbaa: Try and catch us!

(They run into the backyard with the hyenas after them. Dede42 climbs down the tree and Sunrise Blossom lowers her shield. They run in the backyard and find the hyenas in a face-off with Pumbaa, who has his back to them, and Timon is still on his friend's back, cocking the warthog's tail like a rifle.)

Dede42: Uh oh, I think you and I better get inside the writers studio before Timon does what I think he's going to do.

Sunrise Blossom: Good idea. (and they retreat into the writers studio and put on gas masks just to be safe. Cue the "Are you my mummy?" jokes.)

Timon: I got a loaded warthog here, and I know how to use him. So, _leave now!_

Shenzi: (scoffs) You think that you can scare us off like that?

Banzai: Yeah, I doubt your friend can even produce _that_ much gas. What'd you think, Ed.

Ed: Nah.

Timon: All right, ya asked for it. Ready, Pumbaa?

Pumbaa: Ready!

(Timon yanks on his friend's tail and the worst smell in history sends the three hyenas running for their lives, yelping the whole time.)

Timon: Yuck! Good thing you ate all those brussels sprouts before we came over to save the day, buddy.

Pumbaa: Yeah, good thing. Let's go check on the girls.

Timon: Good idea, pal.

(They go to the writers studio and, after Pumbaa is sprayed repeatedly with air freshers and covered with wreaths of flower, go inside.)

Dede42: Thanks for getting rid of Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed. I have no idea how they ended up in the back yard with me.

Sunrise Blossom: It is a mystery. Hey, let's check the reviews while we're here.

Timon: Good idea.

Dede42: (reads both reviews) Well, Berry Dreams did apologize…sort of. I don't mind getting some criticism every now and then, but when it reads like someone who just makes assumptions without reading the other stories first, it can kinda hurt.

Sunrise Blossom: Yeah, and I was giving Rarity a lot of support in the last story, just like a good friend should.

Timon: Doesn't every pony in Ponyville know that Spike has a crush on Rarity?

Rarity: (enters the writers studio and hears the question) Of course every pony knows that, darling. It's a harmless crush that I've been aware of since the first day I met Twilight and Spike, and if Spike wants to pretend that no pony knows, then that's just fine, too.

Applejack: (enters the writers studio) Hey, guys, what happen out there?

Dede42: Long story, but somehow, three certain hyenas showed up and were chasing me around until Sunrise, Timon, and Pumbaa saved me a short while ago.

Rarity: Well, that does explain the lingering smell outside.

Pumbaa: Oh, sorry.

Applejack: Ah, don't ya worry, Pumbaa, it'll fade away.

Sunrise Blossom: Exactly.

Applejack: Well, while ya all post the chapter of the next story, I'll work on repairing both yards.

Dede42: Thanks, AJ.

Applejack: No problem.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE: TREE ABDUCTION!**

It was another beautiful day in Equestria and the Mane Seven were currently on a train, which was being pulled by four strong stallions, heading for the newly built town of Appleloosa, which had been constructed by Applejack's relatives, and she was looking forward to the visit since she had something special to give them as a gift.

* * *

In the private sleeper car at the tail end of the train, Applejack was reading a story to a large apple tree that was lying on the bed and covered with a blanket with an apple print on it. " _And that's when the yellow birdie thought to himself,_ " she read," _"Hmm. My favorite little tree isn't such a little tree anymore." So she sang her song, big and strong, and they all lived in that great, big tree happily ever after. The… end._ " She then closed the book and tucked the blanket closer around the tree.

"Applejack!" Rarity exclaimed, making the orange pony jump, from the doorway. "Were you reading a bedtime story to… an apple tree?"

Applejack chuckled nervously at being caught. "Heh… uh… Well, ya know, bein' replanted in a whole new place is very upsettin' for a tree… and Bloomberg here is one of my favorites," she pointed out while stroking and nuzzling the green leaves of the tree.

"No fair, Applejack!" Rarity complained, stalking over and glared at the tree. "You've got a luxurious, private sleeper car for a _tree_ , while I am crowded and cramped in the same car with all the other ponies. How am I supposed to get my beauty sleep?!"

"But Bloomberg's the whole reason we're makin' this trip," Applejack reminded her friend. "He needs his rest so we can give him as a gift to my relatives in Appleloosa."

Rarity scoffed at the attention that a _apple tree_ was getting. "Hmph! You talk about it as if it's your baby or something."

"Who you callin' a baby?!" Applejack demanded defensively. "Bloomberg's no baby!" She then turned and began doing baby talk to the tree while nuzzling the leaves again. "Don't wet widdle Rarity make you all saddy-waddy. Bloomberg's a big and strong apple tree. Yes, he is. A-coochie-coochie-coo-coo-coo!"

Rarity felt like she was going to be sick when her friend began tickling the tree. "It's widdle Rarity who's all "saddy-waddy"!" she whined before storming out of the car. "Urgh!"

* * *

Night had fallen and the train was still going to down the tracks. In one of the sleeper cars, Twilight Sparkle, Sunrise Blossom, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash were chatting away while both Rarity and Spike were trying to get some sleep since they were due to arrive in Appleloosa the next morning.

"Oh man, we're going fast!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "This is so exciting, I can't even wait!"

"Yeah, who knows what Appleloosa will be like when we get there," Sunrise Blossom agreed.

Twilight Sparkle nodded, looking forward to visit the new town. "Oh my goodness…"

Rarity, however, groaned and stuffed her head under her pillow, trying to ignore her chatting her friends. "For crying out loud in the morning!"

Spike new exactly how the grey unicorn was felling and sat up to glare at the five ponies. "Do you guys mind?" he demanded and they stopped talking to look at him. "I was up early fire-roasting those snacks you're all eating, and I'm pooped!"

Rainbow Dash chuckled sheepishly. "Uh, speaking of, some of these popcorn kernels didn't get popped."

Spike sighed. "Okay, fine…" And he unleashed a blast of green flames at the bag of popcorn.

Rainbow Dash yelped and duck to avoid getting roasted while the flames turned her popcorn black and she winced when a single seed popped and hit her on the head. "Ghk… Ow!"

"Good night!" Spike snapped and duck under his blanket, where he was soon snoring softly.

Twilight Sparkle and Sunrise Blossom exchanged a look, and they decided to humor the baby dragon. "Uhh… maybe it's time we all got a little shut-eye. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow." And they blew out the candles while their friends all grumbled, but they put out their candles, too.

Soon all was quiet in the car, saved for Spike's soft snoring, and this went on for several minutes.

"Psst!" Rainbow Dash whispered. "Pinkie Pie, you asleep yet?"

"No, are you asleep yet?" Pinkie Pie whispered back.

Rainbow Dash lit her candle and hopped out of her bed so that she was on the floor near the bed Spike was in. "If I was sleeping, how could I have asked you if you were asleep?" she asked, still whispering.

Pinkie Pie got out of bed and joined her, giggling. "Oh yeah!"

"When we get to Appleloosa, you think we'll have to carry that heavy tree all the way from the train to the orchard?" Rainbow Dash wondered.

"What tree?" Pinkie Pie asked. "You mean Bloomberg?"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "…No, Fluttershy," she whispered sarcastically.

"Fluttershy's not a tree, silly!" Pinkie Pie whispered, giggling.

Having been woken up by the whispering, Twilight Sparkle joined them. "What's going on?" she asked, making sure to whisper.

"Rainbow Dash thinks Fluttershy's a tree!" Pinkie Pie informed her, snickering.

"I do _not_ think she's a tree! I was just-" Rainbow Dash began.

"Did you _say_ she was a tree?" Twilight Sparkle inquired.

Rainbow Dash shook her head and stammered. "No. Well… Yes. But not exactly-"

"Ya know she's not a tree, right?" Twilight Sparkle interrupted.

Pinkie Pie giggled again. "She's not a tree, Dashie!"

Fluttershy, having heard the conversation, joined them with a smile. "I'd like to be a tree…"

"Oh, for Pete's sake!" Spike shouted, startling the four ponies as he grabbed his pillow, jumped out of the bed, and stormed out the door, slamming it behind him.

"Well that was kind of huffy," Twilight Sparkle remarked, wondering what had caused the baby dragon to storm off like that.

"Huffy the magic dragon!" Fluttershy joked and they all giggled.

Just then, Rarity sat up and glared at them. "Would you all be quiet… _now?!_ " she demanded, revealing that her hair was in curlers, and she had a mud mask on her face, which looked creepy in the candlelight.

"Aaaaaah!" went the four ponies and they quickly blew out the candle.

Sunrise Blossom, who'd been woken by the whispering, shook her head, and laid back down to go to sleep. _'That's what they get for being noisy,'_ she thought sleepily.

* * *

Desperate to get some rest, Spike entered the last car. "Bloomberg…? Bloomberg?" he whispered, shutting the door behind him and crept over to the bed. He then climbed in next to the tree and pulled up the blanket. "Sorry, but I tend to snore a bit. Good night." He then settled down, sighing with contentment, and went to sleep.

* * *

The sun was rising as the stallions pulling the train raced past, and the ponies in the sleeper car were all sleeping peacefully when there was a sudden loud rumbling that shook the car, knocking Rainbow Dash out of her bed onto the floor, and her friends all woke up. Wondering what was going on, they gathered in front of one of the windows, and they gasped when they saw racing alongside the train was a huge herd of buffalos!

"A buffalo stampede!" Twilight Sparkle exclaimed, having read about buffalos, but this was the first time she'd ever seen one.

"They all have feathers," Sunrise Blossom remarked, noting that each of the buffalos did have feathers tied to one of their ears.

"I just _love_ their accessories!" Rarity complimented.

Twilight Sparkle, however, noted something odd about the stampede. "They're getting awfully close to the train," she commented and sure enough, the herd was getting _a lot_ closer to the train.

"Uh oh, I think they're going after the drivers!" Sunrise Blossom yelped, just as the lead buffalo slammed into the lead driver, almost knocking him off the tracks, and the whole train shook, sending the six ponies bouncing around, shouting and yelping.

"I want to speak to the manager!" Rarity shrieked.

* * *

Meanwhile, Spike was fast asleep in the last car, unaware that the bed was sliding around or anything else that was going on. The lead buffalo kept trying to knock the lead driver off the tracks, but the lead stallion wasn't about to let that happen, and he slammed into the side of the buffalo, knocking him away.

* * *

In the sleeper car, the six ponies were sprawled on the floor, dizzy and dazed from being knocked around. Well, five of them were dizzy, but Pinkie Pie bounced up and went back to the window to see what was going on with the buffalos.

"Oooh, looky!" she exclaimed and her friends joined her and watched as two of the buffalos jumped onto the back of a third buffalo, balancing carefully while the third kept running near the train with the rest of the herd. "Now they're doing tricks!" And she nodded excitedly to a small female buffalo, who leapt across the backs of the herd until she jumped onto the small tower. "Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Now do a backflip!" she squealed and was confused when the small buffalo leapt onto the train, and headed back the back of the train. "Or… Just jump?"

"Hmm…" said Rainbow Dash, frowning. "Something tells me this isn't a circus act." She then flew out and over the train, spotting the small buffalo, and landed on the train ahead of her. "Hey there!"

The small buffalo, who called herself Little Strongheart gasped, but she kept running across the train cars, forcing the blue pegasus to move out of the way to avoid being run over.

Rainbow Dash flew after Little Strongheart. "Where ya headed in such a hurry?" she inquired as the buffalo kept avoiding and dodging her. "Wow, you're pretty quick for someone so… bulky. No offense." But Little Strongheart ignored her and kept racing toward the last car.

Determined to get some answers, the blue pegasus flew ahead and landed so that she was blocking the route. "I just wanna know– Hey!" she yelped when Little Strongheart flipped over her and she gave chase. "I'm talking to you– Whoa… Arrgggg… I got you now, you-" However, she missed grabbing the small buffalo, and she slammed into a sign, crashing to the ground with a loud groan.

Smirking, Little Strongheart dropped down to unbuckle the last car and flipped back onto the roof before whistling. Soon the entire herd broken away and swarmed around the car, pushing back down the tracks.

* * *

Hearing the commotions, Applejack raced and stopped at the opening, staring and gasping in horror at the sight. "They've got Bloomberg!" she wailed as she was joined by her friends.

Just then, Spike appeared in one of the windows of the stolen car and he was banging on the glass frantically. _`"Heeeelp!"`_

"And Spike!" Twilight Sparkle and Sunrise Blossom both yelped.

* * *

Lying under the sign, Rainbow Dash sat up and gingerly rubbed her sore head with one hoof as the buffalos raced past with the car. "Ugggh…" she groaned and then she heard the fading cries of help coming from the baby dragon. "Dragon-napping Spike. I'll show her!" she vowed and winced. "Ow…" Choosing to ignore the pain in her head, she got up, took to the air, and she flew after the disappearing herd, determined to save the baby dragon and teach the small buffalo a lesson.

* * *

A/N: Oh no! Bloomberg has been tree napped and Spike has been dragon napped! See you all Monday for the next chapter! R&R everyone!


	2. Chapter 2: OPERATION: TREE AND SPIKE

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Over a Barrel

A/N: I'm back and there are going to be some updates today since I have back-to-back opening shifts at the movie theater tomorrow and Wednesday, which means that the next time I will be able to update will be on Thursday. I know that waiting can be hard, so be sure to enjoy the updates for today.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO: OPERATION: RESCUE APPLE TREE AND SPIKE!**

Some hours later, the train arrived at the station located just outside Appleloosa, and Applejack was quick to exit the train with Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Sunrise Blossom, and Rarity. They didn't get very far when they almost ran into a pony with light gold skin, orange hair with amber highlights, light green eyes, a red apple cutie mark, and he was wearing a brown cowboy hat and a brown vest.

"Hey there!" he exclaimed when he saw the five ponies. "Welcome ta A-A-ppleloosa!"

"Braeburn, listen-" Applejack began, recognizing her cousin.

"Cousin Applejack, mind yer manners," Braeburn scolded, "you have yet ta introduce me to your compadres! Shame on you!"

Applejack rolled her eyes, not in the mood for politeness. "Braeburn, listen, somethin' terrible's happened-" she began again.

"Terrible is right, your train is a full seven minutes late!" Braeburn interrupted. "That's seven minutes less for you to delight in the pleasures and wonders of… A-A-A-ppleloosa!" And he shoved them all to the other side of station so that they could see the town, and it was an impressive sight with the neat buildings and the ponies walking around wearing all kind of cowboy outfits. "Boggles the mind, we settler ponies built all this in just the past year, don't it?!" he continued, shoving them through the town for the cour. "And as you can see, we have all of the finest comforts. Like horse-drawn carriages!"

A pony named "Black Stone" was pulling a carriage and after a bit, he stopped and spoke to the pony riding inside. "Okay, you pull now."

Noteworthy poked his head out and pouted. "Aww, we just switched."

Braeburn then hurried them to another spot, where several fillies were busy drawing the carriages and their drivers. "And those there are horse-drawn horse-drawn carriages."

"…Listen, Braeburn, I– Oof!" Applejack began and grunted as they were herded to their next destination.

Braeburn stopped when they reached a saloon. "And here's our local waterin' hole, the Salt Block," he said proudly.

Just then, Morton Saltworthy tossed an older pony out of the saloon. "That's enough salt for you!" he snapped.

The old pony, known as Ol' Salt, sat up and looked blearily back at the saloon with traces of salt on his mouth. "Can't I at least… get a glass of water?" he asked, hiccuping before flopping backwards onto the ground, having just passed out while Morton Saltworthy snorted and went back inside.

Chuckling, Braeburn continued the tour by stopping at a building with a silver star on the front. "Over there's the office of Sheriff Silverstar," he announced, waving to the sheriff, who waved back, and then showed them to the two dance lcoations. "And here's where we have our wild west dances! And here's where we have our _mild_ west dances!"

"But, Braeburn, we-" Applejack began once again, trying to get him to listen to her.

Still ignoring his cousin, Braeburn herded them out of the town and onto a nearby ridge that was over-looking a huge apple orchard. "And here's the most wonderful sight in all of… A-A-A-ppleloosa! Our apple orchard."

"Braeburn!" Applejack shouted, wishing he would shut up for a few seconds and listen to her.

Braeburn was looking proudly at the apple orchard, and the trees were brimming with apples. "First harvest should be any day now."

"Braebu-"

"Good thing too!"

"Brae-"

"'Cause we need that grub to live on."

"Braeburn!" Applejack screamed and poor Sunrise Blossom cringed, but it did the trick to get the pony's attention.

Braeburn finally looked at his cousin. "Uh, yes, cuz?" he asked.

"You have a very nice town an' all, but we have a _hu-uge_ problem!" Applejack snapped. "Some of our friends are missin'!" And her friends all shared what happen at once.

"A stampede of buffalo."

"They attacked the train!"

"They took Spike!"

"Rainbow Dash went after them!"

"And we can't find Pinkie Pie."

"And we had an apple tree with us for your orchard, but they took that too!" Applejack concluded.

Braeburn stared at them, blinking for several seconds. "Did you say… buffalo?" he asked and they nodded. He sighed, which meant he knew about the buffalo. "Them buffalo, they want us settler ponies to take every single tree you see here off this land," he explained, nodding to the orchard. "They sure as hay don't want any new ones added in."

"But why?" Fluttershy asked.

"Beats me," Braeburn admitted. "We put a lot of hard work into this land, so we can feed our town, our families, our foals! And now they're sayin' all these trees have to go? T'ain't fair…"

Applejack, Sunrise Blossom, and Twilight Sparkle exchanged perplex looks. Why were the buffalo so fired up on getting rid of the apple trees and Appleloosa? And how were they going to find their missing friends?

* * *

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was currently sneaking among the rocks, hoping to ambush the buffalos, particularly the small female buffalo that had managed to outwit her, and she wasn't going to let her get away with that.

"Ooh, I can't _wait_ to get my hooves on that little buffalo…" she vowed and winced a little since her head was still a bit sore from earlier. "Hnnh… Ow! Nobody tricks Rainbow Dash and gets away with it." She crawled along the ground and was about to slip behind a rock when she suddenly found herself nose-to-nose with Pinkie Pie.

"Boo!" said the pink pony happily.

Rainbow Dash yelped and jumped backwards into the air for a few seconds before landing. "Yah! …Pinkie Pie!"

"Ah, ya caught me!" Pinkie Pie joked. "Looks like I tricked you and didn't get away with it either! You're good."

"Shhshh!" Rainbow Dash hissed, shoving her behind a nearby rock. "What do you think you're doing?! You gotta get out of here!"

"I do?" the pink pony asked.

Rainbow Dash nodded while making sure that they hadn't been seen. "You're gonna blow my cover."

"I am?" asked Pinkie Pie.

"I'm trying to save Spike!" the blue pegasus growled.

Pinkie Pie gasped. "Oh my gosh! So am I!"

Rainbow Dash tried to chase her friend away. "And the more of us there are out here," she pointed out, "the more chances of us getting…" Suddenly there was a loud rumbling sound and when the dust cleared, they were surrounded by buffalo "caught." She faced off against the buffalos. "Run, Pinkie, I'll hold 'em off. Save yourself!"

"Stop!" shouted a familiar voice, and the buffalo moved aside to reveal Spike, who looked to be completely unharmed. "Dash, Pinkie, 'sup?" he asked before talking to the buffalos. "Hey, no worries, I know those guys. They're cool."

"If you say so, Spike," said one of the buffalos. "Catch ya later, bro." And they raced off back to the camping grounds.

* * *

That night, Spike was seated near a campfire with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, explaining what happen after he and the apple tree had been abducted that morning. "Seems they took _me_ by mistake," he informed his friends. "And they feel awful about it too, poor guys. Fortunately, they totally respect dragons, so they treat me like an honored guest." He then snapped his claws and two bowls of some kind of grayish food was brought to the two ponies.

Rainbow Dash sniffed the contents and made a face before shoving the bowl away. "Ugh…"

"Still don't like ponies much, though…" the baby dragon remarked. "But you're with me, so it's cool."

"Huh. Well, I still don't trust them," Rainbow Dash stated, standing up and looked around. "I say we turn tail and bail while we still-" she stopped and sighed when she saw the pink pony was eating the grayish food.

"Mmm!" said Pinkie Pie, finishing the contents before looking at the blue pegasus. "Before we finish eating? Are you loco in the coco?!" she asked, and then spoke to Little Strongheart, who'd just came over with a bowl full of turquoise for the baby dragon. "Can I please have more of that mushy stuff, whatever it was?" she asked politely.

"Certainly," Little Strongheart agreed. "And, Mr. Spike, you like gemstones, yes?"

Spike beamed, picking up the bowl. "Turquoise. Mmm!" he siad while munching on the gemstones. "Heh hah! This here is Little Strongheart, and these are my friends Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash briefly glanced at the small buffalo with a nod, and then faced her when she realized who the buffalo was. "You!"

"You!" exclaimed Little Strongheart.

"That's it!" the blue pegasus growled. "We are outta here!" And she hurried away, dragging Pinkie Pie by her tail.

However, Little Strongheart jumped in front of the two ponies, blocking their way. "Wait! Please accept my apologies for what happened on the train," she apologized. "We didn't mean for anyone to be hurt."

Rainbow Dash scoffed and turned to go a different way. "Yeah, right."

"We only wanted the tree," Little Strongheart added, blocking their way again, and she had a pleading expression on her face. "The settler ponies have overtaken the land and have planted an orchard all over it! Because of their thoughtlessness, we can no longer run over our traditional stampeding grounds."

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie exchanged perplex looks. "Huh?"

"I think it's time they met Chief Thunderhooves," Spike suggested and the small buffalo agreed.

* * *

Soon, they were gathered in the middle of the camp, surrounded by the herd and before them was Little Strongheart's father, Chief Thunderhooves.

"Hmmh," he grunted before speaking. "We have a long and winding stampeding trail that we have run upon for many generations. My father stampeded upon these grounds, and his father before him, and his father before him, and his father before him, and his father before him, and-"

"I think they get the idea, Chief," Little Strongheart interrupted since several the buffalo were about to doze off and the two ponies were becoming bored… well Rainbow Dash was looking bored while Pinkie Pie was politely listening to everything being said.

Chief Thunderhooves grunted and continued his story. "Hmph. It is a sacred tradition to run the path every year. But this year, these… settler ponies, these…" he snorted angrily. "Appleloosans!" And he kept snorting until his daughter stopped him.

"They planted apple trees all over it without asking our permission," she added.

"Well _that's_ not very nice," Pinkie Pie remarked, frowning and looked to her friend. "Right, Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow Dash merely grunted, her forelegs folded. "Hmph…"

"The ponies refused to move their trees, so we are stuck here, and it is not fair!" Little Strongheart complained and her fellow buffalos agreed loudly.

"See, Rainbow Dash?" Spike asked. "They had a good reason to-"

Rainbow Dash interrupted him by flying into the air above the herd. "Huh… Ah!" she grunted and the buffalo gasped. "I'll say they had a good reason!" she declared. "C'mon. We have some apple-pickin' Appleloosans to talk to!" And she got a cheer out of the buffalos. _'Building something without permission from others is wrong,'_ she thought, _'and this problem needs to be fixed before anypony gets seriously hurt on either side.'_

* * *

A/N: Talk about an awkward situation. R&R everyone!


	3. Chapter 3: COMMUNICATION ISSUES

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Over a Barrel

A/N: Like I said before, a lot of updates today due to two shifts at the movie theater tomorrow and Wednesday.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

 **CHAPTER THREE: COMMUNICATION ISSUES**

The next morning, Applejack, Sunrise Blossom, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, Braeburn, and Rarity were getting ready to head out and find their missing friends, plus get the apple tree back from the buffalos while convincing them to leave Appleloosa alone.

"Ow!" Rarity groaned as Applejack tightened the straps on her saddlebags. "Gently, please!"

"Sorry, Rarity," Applejack said when she was done with the straps, "but our friends are out there and we have ta' be ready for a long hike into buffalo territory if we're gonna save 'em! Let's go!" And they ran several feet when they almost ran into Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Spike not far from the town.

"Hi, guys!" Pinkie Pie said cheerfully.

Fluttershy tackled the pink pony with a hug that knocked them both down. "Pinkie! We're so glad you're safe." And there was a reunion between the two groups.

"How did you escape from the buffalo?" Twilight Sparkle asked after hugging both Rainbow Dash and Spike.

"We didn't!" Pinkie Pie answered and gestured a nearby boulder, where Little Strongheart came out of hiding with a nervous smile, making the ponies gasp since they recognized her.

"We promised the buffalo a chance to talk," Rainbow Dash added.

Applejack frowned, eying the little buffalo suspiciously. "Oh, yeah? 'Bout what?"

Rainbow Dash escorted her new friend over. "We brought our new pal Little Strongheart here to explain to the Appleloosans why they should move the apple trees off buffalo land," she explained.

"That information would be quite help-" Braeburn began with a smile.

"That's weird," Applejack interrupted, still frowning. "'Cause my cousin Braeburn here wants to explain to the buffalo why they should let the apple trees stay."

"That would be a useful thing to-" Little Strongheart began.

"The land is theirs!" Rainbow Dash snapped, interrupting this time. "You planted the trees not knowing that. Honest mistake. Now, you just gotta move 'em, that's all."

Braeburn nervously chuckled. "Well… heh…"

"They busted their rumps here!" Applejack snarled, glaring at the blue pegasus. "An' now they're supposed ta bust their rumps again, just 'cause some buffalo won't stampede someplace else?"

"Plant the trees somewhere else!" Rainbow Dash growled.

"Where?!" Applejack demanded. "It's the only flatland around these parts!"

Rainbow Dash gestured around with one hoof. "The _buffalo_ had it _first_!"

"The settler ponies need it to _live_!" Applejack shouted angrily.

"Come _on_ , Applejack!" the blue pegasus pleaded, and soon the two were arguing over each other.

"You're bein' unreasonable!"

"I put my hoof down!"

Twilight Sparkle looked between them and then yelled to get their attention. "Look! Both the settlers and the buffalo have good reasons to use this land," she pointed out. "There must be something we can do."

Just then, Pinkie Pie popped up. "Hey! I've got an idea!" she suggested brightly.

Twilight Sparkle exchanged a uncertain look with Sunrise Blossom. Just what was the pink pony up to?

* * *

A few hours later, both the ponies of Appleloosa and the buffalos were gathered around a stage that'd been built just outside the town, and Spike began playing a fun tune on a piano.

The curtains opened to reveal a large white calm shell, and it opened to reveal Pinkie Pie, who was wearing a fancy saloon girl outfit, and she began singing. "We may be divided. But of you all, I beg. To remember we're all hoofed. At the end of each leg." And two female ponies appeared on the stage, lifting her out onto the stage. "No matter what the issue. Come from wherever you please. All this fighting gets you nothing. But hoof-and-mouth disease. Arguing's not the way. Hey, come out and play! It's a shiny, new day. So, what do you say?" Five ponies joined her and they began dancing in a line for the chorus. "You gotta share. You gotta care. It's the right thing to do. You gotta share. You gotta care." Soon she was alone on the stage, singing and dancing. "And there'll always be a way through. Both our diets, I should mention. Are completely vegetarian. We all eat hay and oats. Why be at each other's throat? You gotta share. You gotta care. It's the right thing to do. And there'll always be a way – _Throoooough!_ "

Spike played the last note and then he applauded, but he was the only one, and the twins were covering their faces with their hooves, embarrassed. "All right, Pinkie Pie!" he cheered. "That was fantastic! What a great song! Yeah, right on!"

Chief Thunderhooves exchanged a look with Sheriff Silverstar and they both nodded, clearly agreeing on something. "It appears that Sheriff Silverstar and I have come to… an agreement," he announced.

"We have," Sheriff Silverstar agreed.

"That was the worst performance we've ever seen," Chief Thunderhooves declared.

Sheriff Silverstar nodded. "Teh… Abso-tively!"

"The time for action… Hmh… is upon us!" Chief Thunderhooves announced and glared at the ponies. "Our stampede will start at high noon tomorrow. And if the orchard is still there, we'll flatten it… and the whole town!" And the ponies gasped, alarmed.

"But, Chief!" Little Strongheart protested, not wanting to fight the ponies.

"An' we Appleloosans say you'd better bring yer best, 'cause we'll be ready and waitin'," Sheriff Silverstar declared, glaring at the buffalos.

"But, Sheriff…" Braeburn protested, but both groups parted ways, and he sighed sadly, following after the ponies of Appleloosa.

Pinkie Pie pouted. "Oh… That wasn't the message of my song at all…"

"This is bad," Sunrise Blossom moaned. "If they both fight, everypony will lose."

"And if that fight does happen, we'll caught in the middle," Twilight Sparkle agreed. "We've _got_ to do something."

* * *

Sometime later, Applejack was watching as her kin got the town ready for the battle by boarding up the windows, and she was worried since this wasn't what she wanted and she turned to Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rarity and Sunrise Blossom.

"I want my kin ta' have what they need to live… but a storm's a-brewin' here," she admitted unhappily. "And I don't like the look of it."

"We've just got to talk some sense into them before somepony gets hurt," Twilight Sparkle suggested and her friends agreed, so they went around the town and the orchard, trying to talk some sense into the ponies, but they weren't having very much luck. "Listen, maybe if you would just reconsider, we-" she began, only to have the ponies slam the doors and windows in her face.

* * *

"About the trees," Rarity said to a pair of ponies. "Now if you could-" But they glared at her so hotly that she backed away hastily and tripped, falling onto her rump.

* * *

Down in the orchard, Sunrise Blossom was trying to reason with the ponies, who were busy bucking apples from the trees and into baskets that were being carried and carted away back toward the town. "If we could just sit down and talk we could-" she started to suggest to Goldengrape, who growled at her before storming off. "Hey! There's no need to be rude."

Twilight Sparkle frowned after the pony. "Why won't anybody be rational and reasonable?!"

* * *

Back in Appleloosa, the ponies were busy cutting up the apples, which went into pies that were being baked by the hundreds, and throughout the town, there was a lot of hammering, sawing, and nailing going on as barriers were being built.

Applejack approached Sheriff Silverstar with her friends, and tried to reason with him. "Sheriff, if we could only-" she began, but he walked away with other ponies, and she sighed, frustrated. She and her friends gave up and just watched as the preparations were finished and the ponies raised the town flag, which had an apple tree on it, and cheered.

* * *

That night in the buffalo camp, Rainbow Dash and Spike were trying to reason with the buffalos, but they weren't having any luck either. While the blue pegasus went to talk with Chief Thunderhooves, Spike watched as the buffalos hit their heads together, sharpened their horns, and they applied war paint to their faces.

"Isn't there someway to stop this?" he asked Little Strongheart.

Little Strongheart shook her head sadly. "Unless the settlers remove those trees, I do not think so." She then offered the baby dragon a bowl of turquoise, and he sighed sadly while accepting the bowl and began munching on the gemstones.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was talking with the Chief. "I know you don't want to do this," she pointed out.

Chief Thunderhooves didn't want to go to war with the ponies, but he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. "But they have taken our land," he reminded her. "What would you have me do, Rainbow Dash?"

"I don't know…" Rainbow Dash admitted, "but it's never too late to think of something."

"At noon, it _will_ be too late," Chief Thunderhooves warned her while applying red/white war paint to his face.

* * *

A/N: Pinkie does get an "A" for effort. R&R everyone!


	4. Chapter 4: THE BATTLE OF APPLELOOSA!

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Over a Barrel

A/N: And here's the final chapter to see who will win the upcoming battle.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

 **CHAPTER FOUR: THE BATTLE OF APPLELOOSA!**

The next day, the ponies of Appleloosa were positioned behind the barriers, armed with apple pies, and the buffalos were standing on a ridge, some distance from the barriers. The Mane Seven were watching with Spike, and they were all worried that this would end badly for both sides.

* * *

Both the Sheriff and the Chief were watching the town clock, which was clicking toward 12:00 pm, and Rainbow Dash was trying to come up with an idea or something to stop the fighting before it started.

"Come on, _think_!" said the blue pegasus, thumping her head with her hoof, but just then, the clock struck twelve times. "Think, think, think, think, think, think, think!" And she looked up at Chief Thunderhooves, who sighed when Little Strongheart gave him a pleading look. "He's not gonna do it!" she exclaimed, relieved.

Unfortunately, Pinkie Pie choose that moment to starting singing and dancing. "–what do you say? You gotta share. You gotta care. It's the right thing to do."

"Oh no, Pinkie!" Sunrise Blossom yelped and looked toward the buffalos, who were glaring down at the pink pony and Chief Thunderhooves was growling in anger. "This isn't going to end well."

" _Chaaarge!"_ Chief Thunderhooves roared and he lead the charge down the ridge and toward the town. Soon they reached Pinkie Pie, who yelped when they tossed her aside like a rag doll, and they smashed through the first barrier.

Having expected this, Sheriff Silverstar gave his own command. "Ready… aim… _fire!_ " he ordered and soon the ponies were launching pies at the buffalos, knocking them down and some were blinded by the pies, resulting them crashing into either the buildings or each other.

Several ponies retreated when the buffalos attacked the bales of hay – _clang!_ \- only to have one of them end up colliding with an anvil, and the ponies cheered. Unfortunately, the clock tower was destroyed and when Chief Thunderhooves spotted the Sheriff, who was ducking behind bales of hay while throwing apple pies, and charged after him.

Sheriff Silverstar saw the Chief charging for him and he was alarmed when he saw that he didn't have any pies left to throw. Resigned to fate, he took his hat off and shut his eyes, waiting for the end to come.

However, right before Chief Thunderhooves could take out the Sheriff, he got hit in the face with an apple pie mid-leap. " _Nooo_!" And he crashed to the ground, unmoving.

Fearing the worst, the Buffalos began crying, along with the ponies, and even Spike was crying.

Just then, some of the apple pie dropped into Chief Thunderhooves' open mouth, and the second it made contact, his eyes popped open. He jumped up and licked the rest of the pie off his face. "Yum!" he exclaimed with an excited expression on his face. "Hey, I've got a much better idea!"

* * *

After repairing the damage to Appleloosa, it wasn't long before the ponies were busy removing some of the apple trees, creating a path for the buffalos to run on, and when Applejack whistled, Rainbow Dash lead the way down the path with the buffalos racing right behind her.

"We… will allow the apple orchard to stay in exchange for a share of its fruit, heh…" said Chief Thunderhooves as his tribe collected freshly baked apple pies as they ran past the ponies. "Those… _delicious_ apple pies!" And he shook hooves with Sheriff Silverstar before joining his fellow buffalos on their run.

Spike watched happily as the two groups got along better. "I'd rather eat turquoise any day of the week," he remarked while chomping on the turquoise he'd been given by the buffalos as a parting gift and a sign of friendship. "Auhh…!"

* * *

On a nearby hill, Applejack was beaming as she finished planting the newly recovered apple three. "Bloomberg, this is yer special day," she told the tree, smiling. "Mama's so proud of you!" And then she and Rainbow Dash joined the buffalo in their running after getting an invite from Little Strongheart.

Twilight Sparkle and Sunrise Blossom both smiled, happy that things had worked out between the buffalos and the ponies, and they wrote a letter to send to Princess Celestia once Spike was done eating. "Dear Princess Celestia, Friendship is a wondrous and powerful thing. Even the worst of enemies can become friends. You need understanding and compromise. You've got to share. You've got to care."

"Hey!" said Pinkie Pie, making the twins jump. "That's what _I_ said!"

"We know, Pinkie, we know."

* * *

A/N: No, Pinkie, you can't use torture devices on Twilight and Sunrise. R&R everyone!


End file.
